Pump driving and balancing mechanism



Aug. 21, 1923.

1,465,671 w. E. HUBBARD PUMP DRIVING AND BALANCING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 1920 2 sheets-sheet 1 I attenua! Aug. 21, 1923.`

.1,465,671 A w. E. HUBBARD PUMP DRIVING AND BALANCING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 9, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gn umxjrot Patented Aug. zi, 1923.

W'ILLIAH E. HUIBBARD, 0F SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

PUMP DRIVING .AND BALANCING MECHANISM'.

Application led August 9, 1920. Serial No. 402,147.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. HUBBARD a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pump Driving and Balancing Mechanism,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates topumping apparatus, and an important object thereof, is to provide means which when used in conec tion with pumping cylinders, barrels, or other forms of reciprocating pumping apparatus will enable uidsto be pumped from wells, cisterns, reservoirs, or other reposi tories in an economical manner.

An equally important object of the invention resides in utilizing the weight of the piston, pump rods, and other moving parts of a reciprocating pumping apparatus,

to store up energy by compressing air in a reservoir, using a iiuid as a transfer agent,

when the piston, pump rods, and other moving parts referred to, are impelled in any direction by gravitational forces. The energy stored in the compremd air impels the piston, pum;` Nds, and other moving parts upward when these parts are reversed, and free to ti avel in anv direction.

Another object or the invention is to provide, by means of novel construction, for the conversion ofa turning Yforce into a reciprocating motion. v

With these and other ,objects in view, which will become apparent as the descrip tion proceeds, the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in .which like' characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures, of which: v

Fig. 1 is`|a front elevational view, partly in section, ofan apparatus constructed 1n accordance with my invention; and

Fig. 2- is a side elevational view of the construction shown in Fi 1.

As herein illustrated, t e invention con-` templates the provision of a frame indicated at 3. This framev is provided at its lower end with a sui-table base adapted to be mounted along the walls of a cistern, well or other repository, 'and the upper end of said frame is oset as at 4 to extendv over the center of the said well or repository. The frame is provided with two bearings 5, which contain the journals 6 and 7. These Journals serve to support the intermeshing gears 8 and 9 which are suitably secured thereon.

The gear 8 is driven by a pinion'lO mounted on one end of a shaft 11, which shaft extends through suitable bearings 12 of the frame, and at the opposite end is provided with a gear 13. This gear 13 meshes with Aand is driven by a pinion 14 secured to one end of the armature shaft 15 of an electric motor 16. The motor 16 is preferably fastened directly to the frame 3 and supported thereby.

It will be further understood that the gear 13 may be dispensed with and a pulley, sprocket, or worm gear, placed onv the end of the shaft 11 in the same position as 13, allowing the whole apparatus to be driven by a motor, steam or gasgengine placed either on the frame or `adjacent tp the apparatus.

The gears 8 and 9 are provided with crank pins 17 and 18 on which are secured bearing .boxes 19 and 20, which operate in horizontal slots 21 and 22 formed in a yoke indicated at 23, which is provided with a central vertical bearing 24 through which the plunger rod 25 is adapted to pass freely. Above the yoke, the plunger rod 25 is surrounded by a spring 26, which serves as a shock absorber! to prevent injury lto the apparatus. when the travel of the plunger rod is reversed. The spring 26 is retained between the yoke 23 and a collar 27 ,fixed to the plunger, rod 25 and is preferably fastened to the yoke at its lower end in any suitable manner.

The lower end of the plunger rod passes downwardly through suitableI stuliing boxes 28 and 29 and is itted with means (not shown) for attachment. to a pump rod. The

' upper end of the plunger rod-1s provided with a piston 30 which operates in a cylinder 31 contained in an outer cylinder 32. The top and side walls of the cylinders 31 and 32 are spaced apart as shown, to define an intervening pressure space or reservoir 33. The upper end of the cylinder 31 is incommunication with the atmosphere throuvh the medium of a` ventl 'pipe 34:, while t ey lower end thereof is in communication with the pressure space 33 -through the medium of ports 35. A gauge for registering pressure may be located on the cylinder 32 as at 36 or may be located adjacent said cylinder.

The cylinders 31 and 32 are suitably supported on the off-set portion 4 of the frame 3 so that the plunger 25 is disposed directly over the center of the well or like repository.

Means are provided for furnishing the air reservoir with air under pressure b hand pumps (not shown) which air is urther compressed by a positive, directly actuated, air compressor attached to the apparatus. This compressor consists of a cylinder 37 having its discharge end communicating with the pressure space 33, as at 38. The plunger rod 39 of the compressor fastens directly to yoke 23 by which it is reciprocated, and it is obvious, that as the plunger moves upwardly in cylinder 37, the air therein will be compressed and forced at a great velocity into air space 33, increasing the pressure therein and, consequently, exerting a greater impelling or lifting action against the underside of piston 30. Preferably, the pressure space 33 is partially filled with a liquid confined between the underside of the piston and the compressed air and serving as a transfer agent when the piston, pump rods, and other moving parts are impelled in any direction by gravitational forces.

The stuffing box 29 is provided with a discharge pipe l0 and has attached thereto the upper end of a drop4 pipe or tubing 41, the lower end of which isI attached to a pump cylinder or barrel to receive the discharge therefrom.

The operation is as follows: When the motor 16 is started the pinion 10 is rotated through the medium of gear 13 and pinion 14 and in turn drives the gear 8. As the gears 8 and 9 revolve in opposite directions the yoke 23 is caused to move in a path parallel to the plunger rod 25 through the medium of crank pins 17 and 18 and the boxes 19 and 20, The yoke 23 is reciprocated as long as power is applied to the gearing, and causes corresponding movement on the part of plunger rod 25 through the medium of spring 26 and collars 27.

As the piston 30y moves upward the fluid agent follows the underside of the piston from the pressure space 33 through the ports 35 until the piston 30has reached the upper end of the stroke. Previous '0o this, and before starting the apparatus, air is pumped into the pressure space 33, by the hand pump previously referred to, until the quantity has created a pressure equal to all the weight of the moving parts of the plunger rods, piston and plunger of the compressor,` and all parts directly hanging on the plunger rod 25, and one half or other amount of the weight of the fluid to be pumped. On the upward stroke the air pressure thus accumulated drivesthe fluid agent to the under surface of the piston in cylinder 31. As the gears 8 and 9 start the yoke 23 in the downward direction, the weight of the moving parts drives the fluid from the under surface of the piston 3() through the ports 35 and into the pressure space 33 compressing the air and storing energy. This alternate compression and expansion continues with every stroke as long as the apparatus is actuated by the motive power.

As the plunger rod 25 is thus actuated, it causes fluid to be pumped through the tubing or drop pipe 41 from the pumping cylinder or barrel connected' in the well or the like, to the surface through dischargqpipe 40 into a tank or other receptacle.

It will be seen that this invention takes advantage of the weight of the plunger rods and other moving parts, storing energywhich is-used to equalize their weight and that part of the fluid to be lifted or pumped, enabling fiuid to be lifted to the desired heights at a minimum of cost. This equalizing of the pump load allows the direct attachin'g of motorsto pumping apparatus using gears and other positive drlving means.

From the precedingl arrangement it is manifest, that l have designed an equalizing pumping mechanism of great adaptability, efficient in operation, simple in construction, and comparatively inexpensiveto manufacture.

-Altliough in the foregoing, certain elements may have been set forth as best adapted to perform the functions allotted to them, nevertheless, it is to be understood that various mirror changes as to form, substance, etc., may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from or sacrificing any of the principles of this invention. v

Having thus described my invention, and without enumerating variations and equivalents, what I desire protected by Letters Patent is as set forth in the following claims:

1. A. balanced power head for pumping apparatus comprising a cylinder, a solid plston movable therein, a reservoir in commuyno ' ils nication with the lower portion of the cylinder, a Huid confined for compression in the reservoir by downward movement of the plston, said piston being adapted for connecp inder, means for introducing compressed Huid into said compression space to act against the under side of the piston, and dium conned for compression by fnovement means for connecting the piston with a reof the piston in one direction to store up ciprocable pump rod. power for impellingthe piston in the oppo- 10 3. A balanced power head for pumping site direction when the latter is free to so 5 apparatus. comprising a cylinder, a solid pismove.v

ton movable therein adapted to be connected to a reciprocating pump rod and a luid me- WILLAM E. HBBARD. 

